Week 12 was indeed a clunker of a game for Anthony Richardson. He completed just 39 percent of his passes for 172 yards, totaling just 12 Fantasy points. While he also added 10 carries for 61 yards on the ground, this game was a far cry from his Week 11 outing against the Jets, where he posted 29 Fantasy points. The very same opportunities for big plays were there to be had in Week 12, but for one reason or another, Richardson happened to miss them this week.
During the Week 12 Fantasy football recap, Richardson checked in as one of Dave Richard's biggest losers.
"He did not look like the same guy from a week before," Dave said. "Yeah, he took on the Lions, and that could be a huge part of it. In the second half, this is bad even for him: four of 14 passing for 55 yards. 57% of his throws were for 15 or more air yards. He really didn't have that big of an off-target rate in the second half, but really just did not play well. … But all the goodwill that Anthony Richardson built up in a week, all went away in Week 12."
Jamey Eisenberg went on to shoot Richardson some bail, citing Andrew Ogletree's dropped touchdown and other missed opportunities. Adam Aizer also provided optimism regarding Richardson's play.
"First of all I'm not really going to look at completion percentage for Anthony Richardson, it's almost never going to be good. He throws the ball down the field so much. If he had hit Alec Pierce in stride, he could've had a big play or maybe a touchdown. I actually was encouraged that there were plays to be made. Guys were wide open. Detroit had a bad day defensively and you didn't see it because they didn't take advantage of it, but he did enough as a rusher. He had over 30 yards on the opening drive, where I kind of felt like, I'm not going to be afraid to go back to him. …He wasn't that far away from having actually a pretty huge game against the Lions, in my opinion."
I happen to agree with Adam here. Yes, this is a boom-bust play, but he could have a brilliant game just when you need it the most. Down the stretch, the highest-rated pass defense he'll play is the No. 1 ranked Tennessee Titans in Week 16, closely followed by the Giants No. 7 ranked pass defense in Week 17. Other than those two matchups, the remaining three teams are near the bottom of the league, and I like his chances of building a connection with the likes of Michael Pittman.
In Heath Cummings' Risers and Fallers article, he highlights Richardson's penchant for targeting Michael Pittman. Pittman currently has a 25.7 percent target share with Richardson at the helm, and that could go up even more if Josh Downs misses time with injury after being knocked out of this week's contest. He'll also begin building a rapport with Alec Pierce, who is the team's deep threat. He recorded just one catch for 39 yards against the Lions, but that connection is only going to get better with time.
Due to Richardson's athleticism, few teams are going to play man coverage. They'll often elect to play a vision defense or zone in order to keep their eye on the quarterback, as man-to-man requires defensive backs to turn their back to the QB. If Pierce can consistently beat his man, that will bode well for more explosive plays down the stretch, and I'm betting he hits more of them as the season goes along.
A major flaw in the Colts offense is that there are few built-in check-downs that allow Richardson to keep his passer rating and/or completion percentage on par with league averages. A player like Nyheim Hines could've been that player, but they traded him away to the Bills in 2022, and he's now on injured reserve with the Cleveland Browns. For Dynasty players, look for the Colts to draft a player like Cal running back Jaydn Ott to fill the role left behind by Hines.
Until that time, Richardson will have to continue working on his timing with Pittman and Pierce, and much like Adam Aizer and Jamey Eisenberg, I wouldn't hesitate to start him in Week 13 and beyond.
For more Fantasy insight, be sure to check out the entire Week 12 Fantasy Recap – or watch (and subscribe) on Youtube.